Genesis 41:1-41 ▼

1 AND it came to pass, two years later, Pharaoh dreamed; and he was standing by the river.

2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven beautiful and fat cows; and they fed in a meadow.

3 And, behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean; and stood beside the other cows on the bank of the river.

4 And the ill-favored and lean cows ate up the seven beautiful and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.

5 And he slept and dreamed a second time; and, behold, seven ears of grain were growing on a single stalk, rank and good.

6 And, behold, seven thin ears blasted by the east wind, sprang up after them.

7 And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.

8 And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; so he sent and called for all the magicians and all the wise men of Egypt; and Pharaoh told them his dreams; but there was no man who could interpret them to Pharaoh.

9 Then the chief butler spoke in the presence of Pharaoh, and said, I will mention my offense today;

10 Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and put me in the prison in the commander of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker;

11 And we dreamed dreams in the same night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

12 And there was with us a young man, a Hebrew, a servant of the commander of the guard; and we told him our dreams, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.

13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; I was restored to my position, and he was crucified.

14 Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and he shaved himself, and changed his clothes, and came in before Pharaoh.

15 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it; and I have heard concerning you, that when you hear a dream you can interpret it.

16 And Joseph answered and said to Pharaoh, Do you think, perhaps, that without God I am able to give Pharaoh an answer that everything will be well?

17 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, In my dream I was standing on the bank of the river;

18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven fat and beautiful cows; and they fed in a meadow;

19 And, behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and ill-favored and lean. I had never seen such ill-favored cows in all the land of Egypt.

20 And the lean and ill-favored cows ate up the first seven fat cows;

21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them: for they were still ill-favored, as at the beginning. Then I awoke.

22 And again, I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears of grain growing on one stalk, full and good;

23 And, behold, seven other ears, thin and blasted by the east wind, sprang up after them;

24 And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears; and I told this to the magicians; but there was no one who could interpret these dreams to me.

25 And Joseph said to Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one; God has shown Pharaoh what he is about to do.

26 The seven good cows are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years; the dream is one.

27 And the seven lean and ill-favored cows that came up after them are seven years; and the seven thin ears blasted by the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

28 It is the thing which I told Pharaoh; what God is about to do he has shown to Pharaoh.

29 Behold. there are coming seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt;

30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;

31 And the plenty shall not be remembered in the land because of the famine which shall follow; for it shall be very severe.

32 And as for that the dream was repeated to Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is already prepared by God, and God will hasten to bring it to pass.

33 Now therefore let Pharaoh find a discreet and wise man, and appoint him an overseer over the land of Egypt.

34 Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land of Egypt to take the fifth part of the produce of the land of Egypt during the seven plenteous years.

35 And let them gather all the wheat of these good years that are coming, and store up the grain under the authority of Pharaoh, and let them keep the grain in the towns.

36 And let the grain be kept for the land against the seven years of famine which shall come in the land of Egypt; so that the land may not perish through the famine.

37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.

38 And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find such a man as this, in whom the Spirit of God is?

39 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph. Forasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is none so wise and discreet as you are:

40 You shall be over my household, and according to your word shall all my people be ruled; only on the throne will I be greater than you.

41 And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have made you governor over all the land of Egypt.